Airbag and airbag systems are now a requirement on all new motor vehicles sold in the United States. These systems have been credited in saving many lives and preventing many serious injuries. In many vehicles, multiple airbag systems are used. Some of the commonly known airbag systems include driver's airbag systems (which are usually positioned in the steering wheel), passenger airbag systems, inflatable curtain airbag systems, knee airbag systems, overhead airbag systems, etc.
Airbag systems are generally designed such that in the event of an accident or crash, an airbag will be inflated and deployed into the interior of the vehicle. This airbag will be positioned in front of the steering wheel, the dashboard, the vehicle door, and/or other portions of the vehicle interior. Accordingly, during the crash, the occupant impacts the inflated airbag rather than the surface of the vehicle interior, and as such, the likelihood that the occupant will be injured in the crash is greatly diminished.
Airbag systems will generally include an airbag inflator (which is also referred to simply as an “inflator”). An inflator is a device that is capable of rapidly producing and/or channeling a large quantity of gas into the undeployed airbag. When the vehicle is experiencing crash conditions, a signal is supplied to the inflator which causes the inflator to produce and/or channel the inflation gas into the undeployed, stowed airbag. In turn, this influx of gas into the undeployed airbag causes the airbag to deploy and become positioned within the interior of the vehicle.
Some inflators are referred to as “stored gas” inflators in that they include a chamber that houses a quantity of stored gas (such as nitrogen gas). This chamber is generally sealed such that the stored gas is housed under pressure. Accordingly, in the event of an accident, the stored gas chamber is “unsealed” and the stored gas is allowed to rapidly vent out of the chamber. Upon exiting the chamber, the gas is channeled into the airbag and used to inflate the airbag.
Because the gas is housed within the stored gas inflator under pressure, regulations have been imposed which are designed to ensure the safety of stored gas inflators during a fire. Such fire conditions may occur while the inflator is being shipped, while the inflator is being stored in a warehouse or other facility, or after the inflator has been installed onto a vehicle. Specifically, if the stored gas inflator is involved in a fire, the heat associated with the fire may cause the pressure of the stored gas inside the inflator to increase. If the pressure of the gas increases beyond a threshold level, the structural integrity of the inflator may be compromised and the inflator may become propulsive (i.e., explode). Accordingly, some governmental agencies have imposed regulations which require that all stored gas inflators have a method to safely vent the stored gas out of the inflator in the event that the inflator is involved in fire conditions. By venting this gas out of the inflator, the internal pressure of the inflator is drastically reduced and the inflator is prevented from becoming propulsive.
To date, the mechanisms used by manufacturers to vent the gas out of the inflator in the event of a fire are complex and costly. Accordingly, a new type of stored gas inflator is needed that includes a simple and cost-effective mechanism for venting the gas out of the inflator in the event of a fire. Such a device is disclosed herein.